A QI project focussed on improving care for patients living with dementia by engaging with the ‘This is me’ clinical tool

Introduction: Hospitalisation of people living with dementia often leads to an increase in behavioural and psychological symptoms, a risk of poor outcomes, a higher incidence of harm, and further cognitive decline.

The “This is me” leaflet was designed by the Alzheimer’s Society and, upon its completion, provides information about a person living with dementia. This helps to deliver personalised care and reduce distress and the issues associated with hospitalisation.

Whilst working on the older people’s wards at Ipswich hospital, we observed a low uptake of this clinical tool. We performed a baseline audit in May 2023 confirming only 1 in 10 inpatients living with dementia had a completed “This is me” leaflet.

Method: We adopted the Model for Improvement approach to our QI Project and were supported by the ESNEFT QI Team and dementia specialist nurse.

Our first intervention in June 2023 involved speaking with 18 members of the multi-disciplinary team on the older people’s wards to raise awareness of the “This is me” tool. Later we undertook a post-interventional audit on all four older people’s wards.

Our second intervention in June 2024 involved displaying an educational poster in the corridors leading to the older people’s wards, about “This is me” and how it helps. A second post-interventional audit was completed during July 2024.

Results: The proportion of inpatients living with dementia who had a completed ‘This is me’ leaflet was 10% in our baseline audit, 43% following our first PDSA cycle, and 55% following our second PDSA cycle.

Conclusion: Focus and education on the use of “This is me” led to a 450% increase in the proportion of inpatients living with dementia, having a completed “This is me” on the older people’s wards by the end of our second PDSA cycle. Further work is required to assess care improvement.